Lost and Found
by 123fizzi
Summary: The events that occur after Book 10. Everything they used to believe has been turned upside down. How is everyone going to find a way to recover what they've lost? And how can they find the missing piece to this puzzle that no one knows the answer to?
1. New Beginnings

**A/N: This is set after book ten, Into the Gauntlet, which, F.Y.I., was really good, though I was initially doubtful, since I had wanted the last book to be written by the creator of the series himself, Rick Riordan. But that's beside the point.**

**CAUTION: Book Ten spoilers to those who have not read it.**

__

**EDIT: Hi! I've decided to edit the chapters a little. Okay, maybe not just a little. I got the Black Book of Buried Secrets which revealed some stuff and messed up the arrangements of the events, so I kind of rewrote some parts. But some parts I left more or less the same. It might be sort of confusing, so I think it would be better to re-read this, especially the Ian/Natalie/Isabel parts. I know there's a lot of information to take in per chapter, but I have a full plotline ahead and everything.**

* * *

"Think about my proposal, won't you?" the man asked, smiling rather maliciously for some reason or another.

Isabel shrank back into the corners.

"Perhaps," she replied, hoping she sounded nonchalant and indifferent. "I shall consider your offer. But I still doubt the existence of your family. When I break out of here, and of course I will, I'll have my people check our records."

The man snorted, smirking.

"Do you really think, Isabel, that you will break out of your prison? Granted, Lucians are highly resourceful, but the only way that you can escape now…" His eyes flashed. Then he smiled, showing his blindingly white teeth, though instead of making him look friendly and pleasant, it made him look positively evil. And though Isabel was no stranger to evil, she gave an involuntary shudder. "Well, you know. But dear Isabel, I am surprised you have not even tried to make a move to escape yet. Am I right in wondering if you are afraid of your own branch… and your own family?"

"How dare you!" Isabel spat, glaring. "I fear no one!"

But the truth was, Isabel Kabra had just met the first person to ever have made her afraid.

* * *

"Wow!"

'_Wow' pretty much summed it up,_ Amy thought.

Never since embarking on the Clues Hunt had Amy thought that she would get the chance to make friends and enemies in high school, get to have her own locker to personalise in high school, get to sample the (horrible) food in high school- or even _go_ to high school, really.

And now here she was, at her locker, taking out the books she needed for her next lesson, while her friend chatted to her from her side.

"Wow, Amy! Wow! Wow! Wow!"

"Wow what?" Amy asked, half amused, half irritated.

"Him!"

"What?"

"There! There! See!" Diana seemed to be incapable of proper speech.

Amy looked in the direction Diana was pointing and her jaw dropped.

"Yo, Amy."

* * *

Was he happy? He did not really know himself.

But he knew he was happier.

Or was he?

He was so confused.

"Ian?"

"Hmm, what?" Ian snapped out of his reverie. It was a few days after the events in the Gauntlet, and also a few days after going to Isabel's trial in Boston.

"What are we going to do?" Natalie asked, softly.

Ian knew what she meant.

Even though Vikram did cancel their bank accounts, after coming out of the Gauntlet, they had received two million each, which provided for their necessities (branded clothes and extravagant buffets). But Ian also made quite a living, having taken over their family's art dealership. And they didn't really need to spend much while they were at their home. Or their previous home, whatever. The point was that they had returned to the Kabra mansion as soon as they were notified that Vikram was on the run. It didn't feel very right, but they were still entitled to the mansion, even if they were no longer exactly Kabras.

They were now the Lucian leaders- Isabel and Vikram hadn't had time to change who they had long ago decided would continue to run the Lucian branch, and as a result, Ian and Natalie found themselves the new branch leaders. It was a hard task, but they weren't too bad at it. The really hard part was trying to soften the Lucians, make them less cruel, and try to slip in thoughts into their subconscious that the Cahills should unite. He now understood how impossible things must have seemed for Amy and Dan. There were a lot of Lucians who were suspicious of them, but Ian supposed that Isabel's lessons when they were younger paid off- though he hated to think it. They could be very persuasive, and adults could be bought over by his- and Natalie's- charms, if only for a moment or two. But a moment or two was always enough time to slip away.

Even though not everyone trusted them- but since when had there been trust in the Cahill family?-, especially those who had heard about what happened in Ireland, there were always some people who were afraid of the Kabra family power- even if Ian and Natalie had emancipated themselves, they still weren't exempted from this.

Speaking of Ireland… it was something that everyone had raised. When the teams in the hunt had met up lately to discuss issues, the topic of how everyone seemed to know was always roused. Hamilton had already managed to speak to the Tomas and get people to listen to their side of the story, thoughthere were a few people who were very suspicious of them. Ian and Natalie so far had been trying to ignore the whispered accusations behind their backs. Nobody had dared to accuse them to their face so far, but Ian and Natalie had made it very clear in their own way that no one should speak of this matter in front of them. After all, they were now the branch leaders.

Other than the service of the Lucians under their hand and the many servants, maids, butlers and what-have-you that were employed to meet their ever need, they were left to their own devices. That sounded rather ludicrous, but it meant that they were left to their own devices in the things that mattered- how to run the Lucians, since they now realised they had to do it a different way from what was expected, though Nataliya Ruslanovna Radova was a great help- and generally what they should do. Ian wouldn't admit it, but he was really thankful for the aid of William McIntyre and Fiske. He and Natalie would be at a loss of what to do without them.

All in all, they now had really busy lives.

But still… they didn't really have a family anymore, besides each other.

"I mean… do we continue to stay here? It doesn't really feel right, but where would we go? And… how are we supposed to make the Lucians realise that maybe uniting with the other Cahill branches is the right thing to do? And…" Natalie trailed off. There were so many things they didn't know what to do about.

There was silence.

"I don't know," Ian finally answered.

* * *

Amy didn't know whether to be more surprised that Jonah was standing in front of her, or more surprised that he had ditched his 'Gangsta' clothing and was dressing like how normal people would. Except for the cast and arm sling he had. Heck, he wasn't even using his 'Gangsta' slang much, besides that 'Yo' when he had addressed her.

But after Amy thought for a while, she realised she wasn't all that surprised. Everyone had changed so much. Of course Jonah wouldtoo. She'd already seen the changes in Jonah in the Gauntlet, when they'd had to face Isabel.

And they'd all united in the end… the biggest change- for everyone- of all.

And so, instead of giving him a cold and wary look which she might have done before the events in the Gauntlet, she smiled and waved.

"Hi, Jonah."

Jonah came closer. You had to give it to him- he was good. He still managed to swagger, even if he was in a cast and an arm sling to boot.

"Your injuries have more or less healed?" Amy asked, remembering how injured he had been. "I mean, besides your leg and your arm, of course."

"Yeah, they have," Jonah shrugged. "Just had to spend some time in the hospital, then the docs just about repaired everything."

_Docs?_ So maybe he hadn't completely shrugged off his gangsta language, after all. But then again, Amy never really expected him to.

"But anyway," Jonah started. "I need to tell you-"

"Are you Jonah Wizard?" Diana suddenly burst out from nowhere, peering intently into Jonah's bewildered face. "Could you give me an autograph or something?"

"Uh…"

More girls had suddenly flocked together, noticing Jonah.

"Jonah!"

"Why did you quit?"

"Give me an autograph, please!"

"Jonah, I love you!"

* * *

**A/N: So how was it? Please drop a review!**

**BTW, there was this whole fiasco when I was moving my computer and random paragraphs and sentences got deleted, and though I tried to repair it, I might have missed out some parts, so please tell me if you see any mistakes or whatever.**

**Thanks! And again, review!~**


	2. Introductions

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the good feedback :) Second chapter up!~**

**This is based on what apparently happened in Mission 10 (I didn't have all 39 Clues so I couldn't complete it :( But someone I knew did). And to Lynn, this chapter has the Holts and the Starlings in it, so hopefully you'll be satisfied :) Thanks for pointing it out (though I was intending to save them for later… But why not now, right? :D) Tada! Enjoy~**

**WAIT! I ALMOST forgot: 1. I don't own 39 Clues. I won't say this anymore since everyone knows it and I'm waay too lazy to repeat it over and over again. 2. Many thanks to my fabulous beta, SunDaughter, whom I have to repeatedly thank for beta-ing each chapter. :P Thanks!~**

_**EDIT: As I have said in chapter one, I have rewritten a few parts in this chapter and the previous one. To avoid confusion please re-read the chapters. :) Thanks!**_

* * *

"So who called you, and about what? Was it the Madrigals again?" Ian asked curiously as soon as he heard Natalie stammer a 'bye' and put down the phone. Natalie _never_ stammered. Not until a few days ago, anyway. Like him. He looked out of the window, staring at the beautiful view outside of the Kabra mansion. Natalie had gotten the phone call just after the awkward silence that had filled the room. Ian was quite relieved for the timely distraction. After all, Ian had just told Natalie that he had no idea what to do.

"Yeah. Uh, they still haven't found daddy, but they've gotten a lead," Natalie said.

"What?" Ian turned around. "Not yet? After all this time? And you mean Vikram. We're not related to him anymore.

"Y-yes…" Natalie muttered, slightly...what? Disappointed? No… embarrassed? "Well, you know how we've been in touch a lot with the Madrigals lately? We're now officially part of the Madrigal branch. But we're still Lucians.."

"Okay," Ian answered. That didn't really surprise him.

"We're in Fiske's custody. He's Amy and Dan's guardian, but now he's also in charge of us," Natalie said, plainly. "He was the one on the phone. "

At that, Ian's eyes widened.

Natalie couldn't believe it either. Was it good or bad? They were leaving this luxury, after all. Natalie couldn't make up her mind. She had almost always had her mind made up for her- by Isabel, by Vikram, and sometimes by Ian. But Ian only helped her. It was for the good of them both. Natalie wanted to be more independent- she wanted to be in control of her own self. She wasn't… wasn't… wasn't Isabel or Vikram's daughter anymore. Yes, now they were under Fiske's custody. Though that was weird. Natalie took a deep breath and composed herself.

"I think he's coming to pick us up or something. Next week, I think. We'll be flying there. To Massachusetts, Boston. Again," Natalie frowned. She still had a bit of her old personality. Boston was so… ordinary. But her life was somewhat falling into place again.

Finally.

* * *

"I'LL LOOK YOU UP AGAIN ANOTHER DAY! CONTACT ME THROUGH FISKE!"

Amy stared on, bewildered as Jonah got smothered by hordes of screaming girls. He was in 'Gangsta' style, calming down the crowd, signing whatever needed to be signed,and taking pictures with anyone who asked for a photograph.

"Wassup, ladies? Slow down, yo! And never fear, the Gangsta won't quitting for a long time, but I'mma be taking a break to plan a more mature outlook for my career for some time, yo. Just wait and see, your homie will be back, better than ever!"

Amy had to hand it to him- he was a natural with crowds and the press, alright. He was apparently ushering the horde out of the school, where a car was waiting for him. It was obvious he wasn't going to be able to get a private word with her. She stared at the letter in her palm that Jonah had scribbled and given to her as soon as he saw the girls incoming.

_I've bcom a Madrigal, but Mr. Mac says Dad can't be told. _

_Y? He wldnt tell me. _

_Xplain more abt V fam?_

Obviously, Jonah had scribbled this in a hurry. Amy didn't like online speak much. It took away the flavour of the words, ruined the beauty. Every word probably had a meaning and origin to it. It was so irritating that so few people cared about history-yes, English was a part of history- nowadays. She mentally picked out all the spelling and grammar errors as she read it.

Other than the shortened phrases, the letter was interesting, alarming, and intriguing at the same time. He was a Madrigal? Well, that would make sense, though she wished Fiske would have told her more about it. And why couldn't Broderick be told? Couldn't he be trusted? And how would she explain the Vespers to him?

Amy slowly walked back to her locker.

She had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

Hamilton lay on the grass, breathing heavily. Eisenhower lay next to him.

They had just had a jog- well, more like a marathon-training, really. But Tomases never got out of shape. They had to be the best in all physical aspects. And in intellectual aspects, too, Hamilton supposed, though not that many Tomases thought so.

That reminded him-there was a question bugging Hamilton for some time- was he still a Tomas? Or not? The weird guy who always wore black or grey and looked really gloomy told him he had been invited to be a Madrigal.

He had expected it, but it was still weird.

Hamilton had spent almost his whole life fearing the Madrigals, believing they were evil, that they were the root of all the trouble caused within the Cahill family. And then apparently they were the good guys. Always had been the good guys, right from the start.

It was just a lot to take in.

He didn't know what to do. Usually, whenever he had to make decisions, he always consulted his dad, Eisenhower. And lately he felt they had even gotten closer. But there was something that stopped Hamilton from telling him. What? He didn't know.

All he knew was that something dangerous was coming. He had a feeling of unease in him that had been there even after he left the Gauntlet. It wasn't over yet.

The branches were still feuding with each other. And even though Amy and Dan had apparently succeeded in bringing some Cahills together, which should have elated the two Madrigals, they still looked really solemn.

Cue alarm bells.

But Hamilton knew.

Perhaps, he had always known, from that moment he had become Dan and Amy's partner…and their friend. The Cahills had to unite.

Hamilton had made his decision. He was going to become a Madrigal. But that didn't mean he had to stop being a Tomas, either.

* * *

"Don't worry."

Sinead felt like scoffing. Don't worry? How could she, when her brothers were like that? Ned, with his agonizing headaches, and Ted with his impaired vision. She looked at their concerned faces, and tenderly put her hand on each brother's forehead. She was glad that Ted and Ned had started to discuss the surgeries with the doctors. It really seemed as if they would have a chance to heal and become better now.

And even though they wouldn't have a serum- which Sinead didn't even want, anyway-everything would be alright again.

Sinead had gotten a call recently.

From the Madrigals.

They had invited her to be one- oh, and Ted and Ned too, of course. They were triplets, after all.

But Sinead wouldn't think too much about it yet. She would consider it, one day, but only when her brothers were healed. When everything was alright.

Hopefully, that day would come very soon.

* * *

"That man is a fool."

Isabel stared, hopefully somewhat coldly, at the woman who stood in front of her jail cell. She was also a member of that other family that was hunting the 39 Clues. Preposterous! As if there could be a family even greater than the Cahills! She had a voice as smooth as silk, yet it made shivers run up Isabel's spine- Isabel, the one woman supposed to be completely devoid of emotion.

"He enjoys toying with you," the woman continued. She had to be referring to the man who had come just before, Isabel supposed. "I, however, know what you want. What you fear. We are women, after all. We understand each other."

At this, she looked her straight in the eye, and Isabel could not help looking away.

"Kabra," the woman wondered, smiling- no, smirking, "the most pure Lucian blood. Apparently. You are no longer the Lucian leaders, Isabel- you and Vikram. Vikram has fled, as you already know. Witnessed murder is something he- and you- cannot escape. In fact, your children are now the leaders."

She paused, and smiled maliciously at Isabel, exactly the same as how the previous man had smiled. Isabel recoiled in horror at the thought of Natalie and Ian- Natalie and Ian!- leading the branch. The Lucians were ruined!

"You are afraid of being an outsider. Having to start all over again, working your way up the ladder," the woman sighed, shaking her head. Suddenly, her head shot up and she focused her piercing stare on Isabel, who flinched involuntarily.

"I assume he did not tell you what our family is called," the woman asked, but she made it sound more like a statement. The way she said it, so matter-of-fact, it made Isabel think she knew everything. "Vespers, dear. Vespers."

Something clicked in Isabel's head, but she looked blankly at the woman, trying to slowly comprehend this new piece of information.

"Do not be a fool, Kabra!" the woman snarled. Then she smoothed out her face so that she looked like a porcelain doll. "Your maiden name**. **_Vesper_-Hollingsworth. You are one of us. You will be accepted."

* * *

**A/N:** **Phew! Finally finished! I had to add in that last part because of me finding out some valuable information about Isabel, which is available on card #177, if I'm not wrong.**

**I'm trying to write this according to the books/missions, but since I don't know that many details I'll fill in the gaps with my imagination B) And the whole part about everyone becoming Madrigals? That's what actually happens, so don't accuse me of being cliché. Yeah, I thought that part was kind of lame, too. But still kind of cool… Does that make sense? LOL.**

**And oh yeah, I will be including Nellie soon, so don't fear :)**

**Anyway, please read and review!~**


	3. Perfection

**A/N: Hey guys :) Sorry for taking a really long time to upload this. I'll upload Chapter 4 ASAP just to make up for it. So I've plotted out this story (finally :P), though I'm still missing a few details. But I've got the gist of it, so… yeah. I'm also going to do less POVs in one chapter since it gets a little confusing.**

**Note that I re-wrote some of the stuff in the previous chapters because I got updated information (Hell**_**o**_** Black Book of Buried Secrets), and it could get really confusing if you don't re-read them, so you might want to.**

**Lastly- thank you to my fabulous beta (SunDaughter) who has yet again surpassed herself :) Thanks for going through all the chapters again!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"You are so screwed!" Dan cackled.

His tonguestuck out in concentration as he frantically jabbed at buttons on his video game controller. Beside him, a rather flustered Fiske did the same. He was losing, though. Badly. They were playing a fighting game together- Dan's suggestion, undoubtedly. The Xbox was one of the first things that Dan bought with his two million dollars.

"I'M SO GOING TO WIN!"

"Hey, pipe it down, guys!" Nellie's voice rang out from her room. "Some of us are actually trying to study here!" She stepped out with her hands on her hip. She was wearing a scowl, but her mouth kept twitching.

Dan whooped as he virtually whopped Fiske one last time. 'K.O.' in red and block letters flashed onto the screen, followed by "PLAYER 2 WINS".

The doorknob turned, and everyone turned to look as Amy stepped in.

"Welcome back?" Fiske smiled awkwardly. He was still getting used to the idea of being a father.

Amy smiled tentatively as she dumped her things. Dan started up a new game while Fiske groaned involuntarily.

"Fiske?" Amy asked. "Jonah told me that he became a Madrigal and that he knows about the Vespers. What's going on?"

Fiske paused.

"Well…" he replied, considering. "You know how we've been in touch with all the other teams quite a lot lately? And they even met up with us to discuss some things the other day**?** Well… we've invited all the Cahills who made it through the Gauntlet to become Madrigals. After all, they now know our true nature and our main goal. And since they have become Madrigals, it's only appropriate to inform them of this new threat."

Amy, Dan and Nellie stared at him, stunned.

"What?" Fiske asked defensively. Maybe it was his fault for not having told them sooner, but he had to consult the other Madrigals as well, and it wasn't he who had made the decision. He had only been told to make the calls. Anyway, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise to them. They should have been expecting it, after all, what with the constant communication.

"Well, why can't Broderick be told?" Amy asked again. "He seemed like a good person. Maybe he isn't a Cahill, but still, I don't really see any reason to exclude him from all this. He already knows about us and everything."

Fiske's eyebrows furrowed.

"Maybe he knows too much," Fiske mumbled. He cleared his throat. "Well… you'll find out sooner or later anyway. We suspect Broderick of being a Vesper. But perhaps you should keep this information from Jonah at present until we have finished undergoing investigations."

Again, their jaws dropped.

"So, wait, now Natalie and Ian are Madrigals? Jonah too? And the Hammer? And Alistair? Even the Starlings?" Dan asked, flabbergasted.

"Well… yes?" Fiske answered. "We won't expect too much of the Starlings, though. Ned and Ted have yet to recover, and Sinead is rather preoccupied, having to look after them."

"Anything else?" Nellie prompted.

"Um…" Fiske hesitated, debating how to best tell them. He decided to attempt the direct approach. "We're taking in Ian and Natalie too, since they are no longer related to their parents. They'll be flying in next week. The trial for Isabel was also held here quite recently, but they flew back to relax for a bit. And soon they'll be handling some matters with the Lucians, especially since they're now the heads of the Lucian branch. I was going to tell you at dinner, but…" he trailed off, taking in the gaping expressions on everyone's face.

"What?" he demanded.

* * *

"M-M-Miss?"

Yvonne's head snapped up, her face contorted into a snarl. Nobody ever stammered here. It showed weakness, and a Vesper should never show weakness. Or even have a weakness, in fact. Maybe she did have a weakness. But she kept it well under control. She smoothed her face out so that she'd look more pleasant. She was extremely gifted at not betraying her emotions. It was a useful skill, one that had come in handy countless times.

"What? Make it snappy. I see you're newly promoted?" Yvonne raised an eyebrow, her unflinching gaze burning into the feeble girl who stood at the door. "Hmmph. Well, if you've been promoted, then I should expect you to know that you should never stammer, unless, of course, you want to be… should I say… dealt with."

The girl shuddered. But something in her clicked, and instead, she closed her eyes, took a sharp intake of breath and stood up straight. She opened her eyes and stared at Yvonne, who clucked approvingly. Yvonne nodded briefly, cocking her head. Perhaps this new girl wasn't as useless as she had expected. But then again, why else would she have been promoted?

"Miss, I've been called in to report that Isabel Kabra has been coaxed here after your talk with her. She is now undergoing briefing and will have training soon after. However, it has been asked if she should be allowed to skip some sessions since she has been trained before," the girl explained. She bit her lip awkwardly, but maintained her business-like mode.

Yvonne raised an eyebrow and rested her chin on her knuckles.

"It was not Vesper training, was it? Well then, I don't see why she gets to skip some sessions. Kindly remind her that she is no longer a Cahill. She is a Vesper, and she must undergo our system. We will not make an exception for her. Additionally, her skills are weak. Much-needed improvement is required of her, even if she did have the Lucian serum. You are dismissed."

The girl nodded curtly, only to betray her fear by scampering frantically away. Yvonne smirked. The scary reputation she had taken so long to build was very effective. She felt a slight sense of pride.

Yvonne looked back at her work. She started to allow her mind to wander, since she knew she had already settled the things which were worth it. The other matters could wait. Across the room was a mirror, which reflected Yvonne's smooth, cold yet beautiful face- even if her face wasn't perfect and plastic like Isabel's and she wasn't exactly model material. But looks hardly mattered. If you had the right skills, why in the world would you need to buy people over with beauty? Yvonne smirked. Plastic surgery was a sign of insecurity- that you knew you weren't perfect. And just as that person in the mirror knew, confidence was always key.

When most people looked into a mirror, they saw themselves. Some would pick out all the negative imperfections about themselves, like that slightly crooked nose. Then, in their minds, they would mutilate it until all they saw was that crookedness, which would become an obsession in which they spent the rest of their lives feeling ashamed of that nose, no matter how many people thought it was perfectly straight.

When _she_ looked into a mirror, all Yvonne saw… was nothing- just a stranger looking back at her. This stranger was, well, perfect- even if not physically, but she was the type of person who knew how to project the image that she was beautiful- even though, of course, many people would argue that she was, even if they were not too scared to do otherwise. This stranger had a nice smile, was charismatic, yada yada. But unlike other people who felt disgusted by who they were pretending to be, she didn't feel that way.

For her, she wasn't pretending. That person in the mirror was her, through and through. And she accepted that reflection of herself- how could she not, when she had worked so insufferably hard to get that way?

But she still didn't know who she was.

She laughed.

Her life was full of oxymorons.

* * *

**A/N: How was that? I understand it wasn't as long as I would have liked, but Yvonne's part had quite a few layers to it. So… yeah. I know I missed Alistair out, but I honestly couldn't think of what to write at first. But I've decided what to write in the next chapter.**

**Review, thanks! :D Wait- no. Maybe I should include a little threat there :D Uh… review, or Dan will seek you out and perform his ninja skills on you. Or Yvonne will… uh, deal with you. Lol :) Well, basically… review, please!**


	4. Explanations

**A/N: Hi guys :) I promised I'd post Chapter 4 soon to make up for the lack of updates previously, and so I did. I'd like some suggestions about my summary/title because I know they aren't really interesting. If you have some then add them in your review, thanks :)**

**Okay, here's some bad news- I probably won't be able to update much for the whole of next year. I have these really important exams going on, so I won't be able to use the computer much. I'll try to make up for it by posting a lot when I can… if I can. Thanks for understanding :)**

* * *

It hurt.

Badly.

But Alistair had to put that out of his mind at the moment. The next meeting of the branch leadership was far more important. It would be his chance to finally redeem himself. He would take back what used to be his father's. He'd take it from Bae. After all, according to Ekat tradition, he should be the one to take over branch leadership.

Revenge never felt so sweet.

Alistair limped into the elevator.

He made a few calls. With the Ekats' advanced technology, everyone was soon informed of Bae's arrest. They would come soon enough, and the branch leadership would be discussed.

Alistair knew that there were investigations ongoing about his "betrayal of the branch", as they called it. Alistair had already discussed this issue with the other teams. He would deny the rumours- first, though he would reveal bits of the truth. Though of course he would slowly make everyone understand that uniting the Cahills would be the wisest move. But obtaining the branch leadership would be the first step to everything.

Alistair waited patiently at the agreed meeting room, and slowly, everyone started trailing in. They were all muttering amongst themselves, glancing at each other oddly.

"Greetings, fellow Ekats," Alistair greeted. "I-"

"Look, I'll cut to the chase," an impertinent man of about twenty or thirty years stood up, his face stony. "What we heard, is it true? You betraying us to the other branches? Sharing your clues?"

Alistair's eyes narrowed.

"Look, young man," he replied, assuming his authoritative voice. "You can investigate all you want, but you will find no evidence that I have betrayed the Ekaterinas."

"It's true," a voice chipped in.

Alistair turned, amazed.

Sitting there, smiling encouragingly at him, were the Starling triplets. Sinead had spoken up. Ned and Ted were nodding beside her. Somehow they had managed to come to this meeting, despite Ned and Ted's troubles.

"Oh," the man muttered, faintly embarrassed.

"Well, if that is what you insist," rose up another man. He was slightly older, with a high ranking among the Ekats. "Though I remember the Starlings were involved as well. But you will not refuse our request to remain investigating, then?"

"Of course not," Alistair replied smoothly.

"I believe that it would be our wish- all of us- to keep you waiting for your position as branch leader while we continue ongoing investigations. At least until we have found absolute proof that you are innocent."

Alistair clenched his teeth, but continued to keep his calm composure.

"Of course," he nodded, fake generously. "But when I've been proven innocent…"

A lady abruptly stood up. She had a well-respected reputation, and everybody stopped to listen.

"I say we allow him to take up the position," she spoke in a crisp voice. "There isn't really an excuse not to. Who here actually liked Bae? He was simply a demanding dictator, almost. I, for one, am glad to be rid of him. If Alistair does prove to be guilty, of course we'll… handle him."

Alistair was thankful the woman had stepped in. She didn't seem kind nor did she look like she was helping him, but simply stating the truth.

"Perhaps… alliances are required, more than ever, these days. There is an uprising threat," the lady continued.

Alistair was amazed. This lady was either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish.

"What?" the second man who had spoken to Alistair cried out disbelievingly. "You want us to… to t-team," he spat the word out, "up with other branches? Impossible?"

"Did I say that?" the lady responded smoothly. She wasn't very tall, but she seemed to be looking down on him. "Simply have alliances. Temporary truces. Not exactly the same thing as teams, is it? But I suspect an uprising threat, as I have already said, one even more dangerous… than the Madrigals."

Alistair immediately snapped to attention and looked at the lady with some wariness. What did she know, and how much?

Things could have been worse, but they were definitely not going according to plan.

* * *

Never before had Isabel ever felt inferior.

But, as her guide had snootily said, 'The Vespers were all about first times for everything'. She was getting tired. She had been put through tenuous exercises and training for the whole day, with barely a break.

"The Vespers have to be the best!" the guide had snapped. "Only that way can we prevail!"

Isabel, proud as she was, never deigned to answer. She was determined to show these Vespers that she was Isabel Kabra, and she was not to be trifled with. She was delighted- though she hid it- to find out that when they gave her a few strategy tests, she scored among the highest range. It was thanks to the Lucian serum she had drank, of course, but she had been the one to drink it. Anyway, the strategies they had come up with weren't as complicated nor as strong as the Lucians', though they were comparable. It was something Isabel realised- all their aspects were not as strong as each Cahill branch's, individually, but altogether they definitely outweighed each branch.

There was only one thing that the Cahills didn't have- they were trained on teamwork. They had to learn how to make everyone cooperate on missions, and not by fear, as Isabel did. Well… there was some fear, but everyone was working for a single cause for the whole team- not just themselves. They also had to learn how to keep themselves in check, something Isabel was finding very, very hard indeed. The Vespers had learned from the Cahills- in no circumstances could they be allowed to be broken up, like the Cahills did. It would be the downfall of them, just as it would be- or was- the downfall of the Cahills.

"I'll take you to see Yvonne afterwards," the guide said as Isabel was forced to climb up a rock wall which had _moving_ footholds after a few meters of absolutely nothing but plain wall- "An invention by one of our agents who managed to infiltrate the Ekats for some time," the guide explained- and no safety harness whatsoever. She had had to leap up onto the footholds from a trampoline, which was hard enough, but there was nothing at all to cushion her fall if she fell, since the trampoline had been removed. The only way down would be up, since there was a ladder you could release once you reached the top. The ladder, unfortunately, was also a form of training- the rope was so thin it cut into the skin, and it felt like it would fall to pieces any minute.

Isabel, in her mind, had wondered what would happened if she fell. The guide seemed to have read it- though she didn't, not really. It was just something that everyone who came across the wall would think about. She snickered.

"If you fall, you'll probably break a whole lot of bones," she said. "So I advise you not to. But just to put your little mind at rest-" Isabel scowled, "- you see the carpet below? It's pretty thick. So you won't break as many bones as you would if you fell to cold hard floor."

_Was that supposed to be reassuring?_

Isabel ran through the list of trainings she had undertaken in her mind. Her first warm up exercise was running on a treadmill- which wouldn't be so bad if she didn't have to do it in a sauna for one and a half hours. The guide came in every few minutes with water and a few cubes of ice to make sure she wouldn't pass out, but that was it.

The next few were not physical. Isabel soon realised that they had training for each branch- there was physical training for Tomas, then there was strategy training for Lucians, acting for Janus (though Isabel had no idea how 'reacting to different scenarios dramatically' was supposed to help) and invention making for Ekats.

Isabel felt her hands getting sweaty as she neared the top. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to keep a firmer hold. Soon, her hands touched the top of the rock climbing wall. Isabel was definitely fit, but she found herself tiring. Soon, when enough of her weight was on the top, she swung her legs up onto the roof.

She actually made it.

But, of course, she knew she would.

Isabel smiled over her triumph and start getting down the ladder. The guide cocked her head at her, seemingly unimpressed.

"Your timing was slow," she simply stated. "We expect you to be much faster next time. Yvonne will see you now."

Isabel fumed, but knew enough to shut up. She dusted off her clothes, which, as requested, were branded and just shipped in from Paris. Couture was very important to Isabel.

She was led through what seemed like a maze of offices and locked doors to a simple office. Simple as it was, it felt so grand. It just felt so… So…

"Yvonne. I am so sorry to disturb you, but as requested, I've brought Isabel Kabra."

Isabel shook out of her reverie. In front of her, sitting at a pristine desk, was the lady who had coaxed Isabel into joining the Vespers. She never stopped typing at her laptop and scribbling on documents, but she looked up briefly. Her guide bowed respectfully. Yvonne nodded and the guide quickly went away.

"I'm Yvonne," Yvonne introduced briskly to Isabel, who stood awkwardly in the doorway, "which you should already know. Take a seat. You've done…" she hesitated. "Well, I suppose you've done above average."

Isabel raised an eyebrow. She sat on a chair to the side of the room. The chair was uncomfortable and hard. Yvonne kept on working.

"So, there's a reason I called you here today. You should take note I never call people in unless I have a reason. I don't believe in wasting anyone's time."

Isabel nodded curtly. She examined Yvonne's immaculate hair. Where did she get it done? It wasn't as nice as Isabel's hairstyle- Isabel had a renowned hairstylist flown in to style her hair for her, so there was no way anyone could possibly match up to her, of course- but it looked like something she might try one day.

Without looking up from her work, Yvonne sighed.

"Stop looking at my hair and pay attention," she snapped.

Isabel bit her lip and nodded. Yvonne was obviously someone not to be trifled with.

"I brought you here to explain some very important things about the Vespers. You must remember them at all times. If you don't…" Yvonne finally looked up. Her eyes flashed dangerously. "You will face the consequences. One of the things you must learn- for everything you do, there will be consequences. No doubt you already know this. But for Vespers, if you fail in anything you do… we can promise the consequences will never be good."

Isabel shivered inwardly, but composed herself and nodded. She was doing a lot of nodding.

"Well. I'm done," Yvonne suddenly said, and pushed herself from her desk. Her armchair was one of those which had wheels on. She turned to face Yvonne. "Now I can concentrate on explaining things to you. Where shall I start?" Yvonne stopped and smiled.

It wasn't a mean smile, not really, neither was it a nice smile. It was… simply empty. A smile that obviously held no emotion. Isabel contemplated this. Was Yvonne acting… or was there something she was trying to express?

"Pay attention, Isabel," Yvonne interrupted Isabel's thoughts, once again. Her smile was wiped clean. There was definitely no emptiness in her anger. "I'll start by telling you everything."

* * *

**A/N: How was that? Please let me know :) ****It's getting less confusing now with less POVs, right? I definitely hope so!**

**I love reviews. Do you love reviews? Yes, I think you do! So will you review? :) You will? Aw, thanks! Here's a virtual hug and cookie ;) But I really do hope you review :) It would mean the world to me. Thanks!**


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